cubanmiamiboy

Paul, but what really shocks me about Somova is not quite the showing of her hyper extended limbs...(actually I think Zakharova abuses the trick way beyond Somova)-but rather how distorted her hyper extensions are...(which I have to recognize I don't feel with Zakharova). I mean, I'm not an expert or anything on "lines", but c'mon...this girl's limbs look like they have a life of their own...a very disorganized one, IMO...

Right. Later this was changed into a two-ships-passing-in-the-night confrontation with an alluring odalisque carried on a litter. The lighting was increased, to capture the cobalt blue and gold body paint of bare-chested litter bearers. The mystery and sligiht naughtiness of it always made me think of the Imperial theaters in Russia. Wow...has a DVD been made of this production, bart...?

What a lovely production, bart!! Loved the house setting, and the dolls coming from that shell. I assume the flying rug with the guy is the arabian dance, right...? And according to the little snipped of the SPF PDD, it looks like in the same line as Wright/Alonso...beautiful indeed! PS-Are you in the party scene in that clip...?

What a charming theatre...!! LOVE the orthodox context...

Thanks, Guiggin for those pics. I had seen some of them, in Danilova's book. Call me crazy, but I actually DO like Chanel's tutus...(I didn't know about the three different lenghts...only Danilova is photographed standing solo in her book, and her tutu is the shortest, looking pretty much as a regular modern tutu). Don't know about Apollo's costume earlier incarnations, though...I can't imagine anything but white... Alonso's production has the muses dressed in tunics too, but they wear a strange headdress...

But doing basic math. According to the records of this board, Somova has always been an unpopular dancer, known for her extreme lack of technique, hence the vast majority of posters has somehow agreed for once-(unlike, let's say, Part or Valdes, with their ambivalent signature in their fan/detractors circles). Now, if it is a FACT that Somova was, is and will be a BAD ballerina, EVEN with as many powerful connections/sponsors/godfathers and the like she might have on her side. Having this clear, I wonder...HOW in hell is it possible that she's been able to step over the whole world, to the point of getting so much promoted, booked, invited and recorded...? Are all this network of people of hers so strong to the point of extending its power overseas to such places as La Scala...? Does her case has any precedent in the history of ballet-(or opera)- at all...?

...and even THAT one had tutus...!

Thank God!! I wish I could had seen Ballet Imperial, instead of TPC#2... Up until a few years ago, ABT was still doing Ballet Imperial with the classical tutus and the "Imperial" backdrop. I don't recall if they included the mime though. I saw it a few times, once with Gillian Murphy (sensational) and then a bit later with Vishneva and a rather shaky Malakhov. I'm almost positive that this is a silly question for an obviously negative answer, but still...Could BI exist out there in video format...?

OMG...I automatically thought of Giselle in leotards...(Oh, blasphemy!! )

Thank God!! I wish I could had seen Ballet Imperial, instead of TPC#2...

The choreography in Barocco doesn't much resemble the steps I learned in my Baroque dance classes, so I don't see why its costuming would have to reflect the period. Theme and Variations is different. It is an evocation of Petipa, so using classical tutus is entirely logical. Good point...so let me rephrase my question with "Ballet Imperial" vs. TPC#2. "Set in the grandeur of a palace and with a scenic backdrop suggesting the splendors of the Imperial capital of Russia, this ballet is a tribute to St. Petersburg, Petipa, and Tschaikovsky". http://balanchine.com/ballet_images/imperial%5B1%5D.jpg What I'm basically trying to express is that many times I, personally, don't see the end result-(the stripping off of beautiful costumes/tutus)- as a winning situation, but rather quite the opposite...that of a total loss; not even if the idea came from Balanchine himself.

I'm convinced that the un-questioned issue-(in Balanchines' ballets at least)- happens simply because of the source where the substitutions/eliminations come from. "Don't ask don't tell" seems to fit in. "If he did so, so it should be fine". I wonder if the world-(aside from the legalities from The Powers That Be)- would react the same to see, let's say, Peter Martins stripping down Theme and Variations to practise clothes... I can hear it... "Oh, blasphemy!!"

I just came from a surprisingly good night at the Miami Ballet Festival. I'll go tomorrow again to its closing , so I will report more on both performances, but for now I want to mention some highlights that made the night very enjoyable. Ana Sofia Schiller-(NYCB)/Joseph Phillips-(ABT)-in a very energetic rendition of Esmeralda PDD Bridgett Zehr/Zdenek Konvalina form National Ballet of Canada dancing a beautiful Diamonds PDD Elizabeth Mason/Jason Reilly-(Stuttgart)-looking like having lots of fun in Cranko's R&J PDD Alexandra Kozmer/Zoltan Olah from Hungarian National Ballet in the Love Duet from Swan Lake. Lovely. and as dessert... Xiomarita Reyes and Sarabita bringing down the house in DQ PDD

Oh, bart...the prophecies were true...THE END IS COMING...!!

After getting fed with many CD's of Nut's "highlights", I'm ready to purchase a copy that contains the complete score. I'm inclined toward the 1999 Lanchbery's with the Philharmonia Orchestra of London for EMI Classics, for which it has the rarely played Op. 71-(Gigue/English Dance..thanks, Carbro for pointing to the link of the track!! ) Is there any other options that you guys consider to be a better pick...? Is Lanchbery's complete...? Thanks in advance!

Wow...I didn't know about the existence of this piece of music. Thank you! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TGVP18/ref=dm_mu_dp_trk11

...and what about T&V and Jewels...?

The title of this thread is merely symbolic, for which this is a topic I've been wanting to discuss for a while now, or at least know your opinions. I'm going to copy and paste a post I wrote in that other thread about "costume disasters", because I really think this is something that deserves a discussion of its own. Here it goes. I'm probably by myself on this, but truly...I adore ballet costumes. I enjoy tremendously "tutus ballets", and to be honest, I really haven't got to that level of abstraction to say, for example, that I could enjoy "Les Sylphides" the same even without the romantic tutus, for which it would be just as great due to the beautiful choreography. But again, I don't have the Balanchinean background you all have, so I'm sort of outdated on this matters. In my humble, amateurish point of view, the dramatic effect of many ballets diminishes in a great deal when stripped down of costumes...(I'm fine with the "non-props" segment). If I could watch Symphony in C in its original tri-colored structure, or Ballet Imperial with tutus, or even Concerto Barocco the way it was according to those great pics Peggy posted, I would definitely be more attracted to them. Isn't ballet, at the end of the story, a great mix of beautiful stories, choreography, music, sets and costumes...? Couldn't it be that we tend to accept and celebrate Balanchine's eliminations, just because they came from the master himself...? Would you be just as careless if T&V, Chopiniana, Jewels or Symphony in C would start to be presented in plain tights ...?

Thanks, Eric, for your review...! I just ordered both Struchkova's and komleva's...

Edited: Post transfered by author.

I recently bought the Kirkland/Baryshnikov version, and aside from the beautiful dancing, I did find the treatment of the story quite bizarre. I had never seen a Nutcracker with such a strong "love story" connotation, which reached its climax during the Act II Pas de deux-a-trois. The whole feeling of this dancing segment, along with Drosselmayer's looks to Clara, gave me an uneasy feeling. Believe it or not, the term "pedophilia" came to my mind. I mean...how old is Clara's character thought to be in this particular version...16, 17...? Is Drosselmayer somehow jealous of Clara's dancing with the Nutcracker...? -(because, seriously, that's how I perceived it). Also, there were the looks of Clara-(or perhaps Gelsey...?)-to the Nutcracker-(could it be just Misha...?)-with such DEVOTION, which were not reciprocated. The ending was weird too...Kirkland's heavily made up doll-like face looking sad across the window wasn't that of an innocent girl...that face was saying way more. Brrr...weeeeeeeeeeeird...

Oh, bart...how did I skip this thread...? Well, even being two years old, I want to add my two cents. From the very top of my head, I have to nominate Tharp's "Nightspot" as the best example of the worst costumes I've ever seen in a ballet performance... I mean, I couldn't locate a better picture, but Isaac Mizrahi's designs were beyond the "bizarre" terms...there were plainly ABOMINATIONS! http://danceviewtimes.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/04/08/mcb_nightspotjkcg_4.jpg When during the premiere I spotted the main male character coming onstage-(danced by Carlos Guerra)-I felt truly embarrassed for him. All I'm thinking is..."is she serious...are they trying to make him look like a freakin' clown?!?!" And then, there's the review by Melinda Guttmann from The New York Theatre Wire dot com who dares to say... "The color of this passionate work is hot red! The costumes an admixture of purple with hot in red balletic tutus, red jumpsuits, hip-street attire, glittering club costumes, vaudeville hats and canes, work-out clothes, and eastern martial arts outfits. Even the lighting by John Hall proves, to be a spectacle of red, continually reforming a dance of spotlights in new constellations". http://www.nytheatre-wire.com/mg08041t.htm Believe me...it was-(again)- an abomination.

I'm a little intrigued by this two entries. "1958, for national television broadcast and the 1958 performance season, GRAND PAS DE DEUX (Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier, end of Act II), replaced by PAS DE CINQ with Cavalier omitted and Sugar Plum Fairy supported in adagio by men from CHOCOLATE, COFFEE, TEA, CANDY CANES" "1959, adagio and coda of GRAND PAS DE DEUX restored with Cavalier, replacing PAS DE CINQ, but without variation for Cavalier" If for the 1959 revision the entry clarifies that this time the Cavalier variation is suppressed, does that mean that the pre-Pas de Cinq incarnation DID contain the male choreography...?

You have quite a great memory, Tchaikovskyfan!! Good for you...it looks as this Nutcracker was sort of an elaborated one in terms of libretto. From all the versions I've seen, live or in video, I have to say I give Vainonen's the big prize for Act II's conception. The backdrops and props are glorious, and I like the fact that one get to see the rest of the cast enjoying the divertissements onstage as audience. Sometimes Act II tends to look quite bare, although if presented with a beautiful set design a la Sir Peter Wright's, then this is not so obvious.

I just found this, from the Balanchine catalogue. Every single addition and substitution is noted. Very interesting indeed. THE NUTCRACKER Classical Ballet in Two Acts, Four Scenes, and Prologue -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music: By Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky (The Nutcracker, produced 1892; violin cadenza from The Sleeping Beauty added 1955). Based on the Alexandre Dumas père version of E. T. A. Hoffmann's tale, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (1816). Choreography: By George Balanchine. CANDY CANE variation (TREPAK) and Little Prince's mime choreographed by Lev Ivanov. BATTLE BETWEEN THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING choreographed by Jerome Robbins. Production: Scenery by Horace Armistead, executed by Century Scenic Studios. Costumes by Karinska. Masks by Vlady. Lighting and production by Jean Rosenthal. Premiere: February 2, 1954, New York City Ballet with students from the School of American Ballet, City Center of Music and Drama, New York. Conductor: Leon Barzin. Cast: ACT I, SCENE 1, CHRISTMAS PARTY AT THE HOME OF DR. STAHLBAUM, NUREMBERG, CA. 1816: Dr. and Frau Stahlbaum, Frank Hobi, Irene Larsson; Their Children, Clara and Fritz, Alberta Grant, Susan Kaufman; Maid; Guests: 4 Parents, 11 Children, 2 Grandparents; Herr Drosselmeyer, Michael Arshansky; His Nephew (The Nutcracker), Paul Nickel; Toys: Harlequin and Columbine, Gloria Vauges, Kaye Sargent; Toy Soldier, Roy Tobias; SCENE 2, THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING: Mouse King, Edward Bigelow; Nutcracker; Clara; 8 Mice; 19 Child Soldiers; SCENE 3, THE WHITE FOREST AND THE SNOWFLAKE WALTZ: Nutcracker; Clara; Snowflakes, 16 women. Boys choir (40 voices) from St. Thomas Episcopal Church. ACT II, CONFITUERENBURG (THE KINGDOM OF THE SUGAR PLUM FAIRY): Sugar Plum Fairy, Maria Tallchief; Her Cavalier, Nicholas Magallanes; Little Princess, Grant; Little Prince, Nickel; Angels, 8 girls; DIVERTISSEMENTS: HOT CHOCOLATE (SPANISH DANCE): Yvonne Mounsey, Herbert Bliss, 4 couples; COFFEE (ARABIAN DANCE): Francisco Moncion, 4 children; TEA (CHINESE DANCE): George Li, 2 women; CANDY CANES (BUFFOONS): Robert Barnett, 6 girls; MARZIPAN SHEPHERDESSES (MIRLITONS): Janet Reed, 4 women; BONBONNIÈRE (MOTHER GINGER AND HER POLICHINELLES): Bigelow, 8 children; WALTZ OF THE CANDY FLOWERS: Dewdrop, Tanaquil Le Clercq; Flowers, 2 female demi-soloists; 12 women. Note: Balanchine danced the roles of The Nutcracker/Little Prince, Mouse King, and others in productions by the Maryinsky Theater in Petrograd (later State Theater of Opera and Ballet) and was especially noted for his solo in the BUFFOONS' DANCE (TREPAK [CANDY CANE] variation). (See ROLES PERFORMED BY BALANCHINE.) The 1954 Nutcracker was the first full-length work presented by the New York City Ballet; the overwhelming success of this production, with elaborate scenic effects, helped assure the permanence of the Company. The use of children from the School of American Ballet, recalling Balanchine's early experience at the Maryinsky, set a precedent for future New York City Ballet works. The Sleeping Beauty cadenza, interpolated into Act I by Balanchine in 1955, has the same theme as the 'tree growing' music from The Nutcracker which occurs later in Act I. New Productions by Balanchine Companies: 1964, New York City Ballet: New scenery and lighting by Rouben Ter-Arutunian for the New York State Theater, executed by Feller Scenery Studios, tree by Decorative Plant Corporation; some new costumes by Karinska. Film: 1993, Warner Bros., George Balanchine's The Nutcracker (adaptation). Video/DVD: 1993, Warner Home Video, George Balanchine's The Nutcracker (adaptation); 1994, Kultur, Balanchine (excerpts from Act I with Balanchine as Drosselmeyer). Archival Video: The George Balanchine Foundation Interpreters Archive (SUGAR PLUM FAIRY variation [partial], PAS DE DEUX), 1996. Revisions: New York City Ballet: 1955, violin cadenza from The Sleeping Beauty added to extended pantomime in Act I; 1958, for national television broadcast and the 1958 performance season, GRAND PAS DE DEUX (Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier, end of Act II), replaced by PAS DE CINQ with Cavalier omitted and Sugar Plum Fairy supported in adagio by men from CHOCOLATE, COFFEE, TEA, CANDY CANES; variation for Sugar Plum Fairy moved to beginning of Act II from traditional placement at climax of GRAND PAS DE DEUX; 1959, adagio and coda of GRAND PAS DE DEUX restored with Cavalier, replacing PAS DE CINQ, but without variation for Cavalier; Sugar Plum Fairy variation retained at beginning of Act II; 1964 (for New York State Theater), more mice and children added to BATTLE scene; COFFEE (ARABIAN DANCE), formerly featuring hookah-smoking nobleman fanned by four parrots, rechoreographed as solo for a woman; 1968, introduction of mechanical device allowing Sugar Plum Fairy to glide across stage on one pointe; 1972, eight child mice added; 1979, opening section of SNOWFLAKE WALTZ revised; COFFEE (ARABIAN DANCE) substantially rechoreographed; 1983, two adult couples, a teenage couple (guests), and another maid added to PARTY SCENE, ACT I, SCENE 1, by Peter Martins, following a plan of Balanchine's.